Buffalo Beauts' Emily Janiga Named VEDA NWHL Player of the Week

By Amanda Ghysel, 02/25/19, 4:00PM EST

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With a pair of goals in the Buffalo Beauts’ sixth straight win, Emily Janiga has been named the VEDA NWHL Player of the Week.

A native of nearby East Aurora, New York, Janiga’s two tallies helped the Beauts secure an all-important two points with a 4-1 win over the Metropolitan Riveters as the playoff race heats up heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Janiga’s first goal came in the second period, as she tucked a rebound in short side to give the Beauts a 3-0 lead. After the Riveters had gotten on the board in the third period and were pushing to rally, Janiga put away a shot into the empty net to ice the win for Buffalo.

"I'm honored to be named the NWHL Player of the Week,” said Janiga. “It was a big game for our team and myself personally. I had a lot of family at the game, including my newborn nieces, which meant so much to me. It was a great atmosphere at Harborcenter on Saturday and it was great to help contribute to the win."

After Saturday’s two-goal performance, Janiga now has four goals and an assist on the season, as her second line, alongside Kelly Babstock and Julianna Iafallo, has come on strong in the second half of the campaign.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL HETZEL

"Emily has been a consistent player for our team, game in and out this season," Beauts General Manager and Head Coach Cody McCormick added. "Her line with Kelly and Juls has generated a lot of chances the past few games and it is great to see them being rewarded on the scoresheet for their hard work."

An Isobel Cup champion in 2017, Janiga rejoined the Beauts this season after playing overseas last year. Prior to her professional career, she was a standout at Mercyhurst University, where she was named the College Hockey America Player of the Year in 2015, leading the league in goals (27) and points (45).

With the win Saturday, the Beauts finished the regular season undefeated on HarborCenter ice, with only two road games remaining. Buffalo makes the trip to Connecticut on Saturday before closing the regular season against the Riveters on Sunday.